Arizona Man's Scheme to Get a Day Off Ends in Arrest

An Arizona man found earlier this month near a water tower, his hands bound with a belt and a bandana stuffed in his mouth, had a harrowing tale for police. Brandon Soules told authorities that two masked men knocked him unconscious, put him in a vehicle, and drove him around before dumping him at the tower in the city of Coolidge, ABC 15 reports. The kidnappers’ motive, he said, was a large amount of money his father had hidden around town. Investigators, however, determined that Soules story was false—no assault and kidnapping occurred, and no money was hidden around the city. As for Soule’s motive for lying: “He made up the story as an excuse to get out of work,” the Coolidge Police Department said in a statement. Police arrested Soules on Feb. 17 on suspicion of false reporting to police, per the Coolidge Examiner. He also was fired from his job at The Tire Factory, according to ABC 15. (More weird crimes stories.)